The Aftermath and beyond (Diablo II)
by Mr Platypus
Summary: After the events in Diablo II, the world is re-corrupted and a special kind of mage comes to (re) end evil. Thanks to all reviewers!!! Gheed torture now included!!!
1. Maeck

This is my first try at a Diablo II fanfic, and I don't have it anymore, and haven't played in a few months, so if anyone has skill trees, etc, please e mail them to me. Thx.  
  
Maeck wandered into the encampment of rouges, as though he were a common traveler. Soon after the necromancer hero Karov had left for the east, the hero of Tristram had come, killing nearly every inhabitant in the area, and sowing his minions throughout. The encampent had none of the previous inhabitants, save Gheed. He was now always hiding under something, as he feared Diablo's minions would come. He was a drunken psychopath, but an invaluable information source, as only he knew the land, and people talked freely when nearby him. Half the time, they didn't even notice him. He also, somehow, got rare items. No one knew how, but he had the best equipment to sell.  
  
Now, as Maeck entered, he saw a beautiful woman, leaning against the fence. He later learned this was Charsi's daughter, Sarol. She was, however, the nearest and most athorative looking person in the area, so he hid his attraction, and walked briskly up.  
  
'You in charge here?' 'No, I'm just the blacksmith. What're you doing here?' 'Oh, a thousand apologies, I am Maeck, traveling Magi alterer.' 'Magi alterer? You mean sorcery, or magery?' 'Hahaha, no. Spellcasting is so restricted. Magi is what spellcasters use to cast spells. I alter the essence of magi itself.' ' So, you do what, exactly?' Maeck was drawn aback. Thoughout his childhood, he never met one who knew this little of his art. He would simply have to example. 'Do you see this dagger' 'yes.' 'Hold it a moment, will you?' As he handed her the dagger, all the metal of the blade turned to liquid. At this, Sarol dropped the handle in surprise. Through her attempts to shake it off, he moved the liquid but quite cool steel into the palm of her hand. It then ceased to move. She stood there, amazed beyond words. 'how. but. it.' The steel then turned back into dagger form, fell from her hand, and landed and fused with the handle. 'Holy.' 'Nothing holy about it. Just magic.' 'Wow.' he bent quickly to pick up the dagger. When he rose, she was gazing deeply into his eyes. She began, 'you. I, uh.'She sighed. 'Forget it' she finished. An awkward silence followed, then 'Skye, over there. He's probably closest to in command.' 'Thank you.' As he walked off, he wondered on the studdered beginnings of a sentence. He was liking her, more and more. She came off as smart, strong, and good. Could this be love, he wondered? And did she have similar feelings for him? Was that the stumbled sentence meant to tell him that? Or could it be her attempted proclamation of his devilry? In the east, they had accused him of evil witchcraft, and had sentenced him to death. He hadn't had much trouble escaping, but had hated killing the guards. As Maeck approached Skye, Skye said 'greetings, traveler. I watched your desplay to Sarol. What is it you need of us?' 'Oh, she's Sarol? Oh, yes well.' Maeck was amazed. He had lost his composure at the mention of her name. He was ashamed. Suddenly, he took a second look at Skye. He was elven. Elves were rare, especially this far west. He wore two crossbows over his back, had a long sword at his hip, and a long bow slung onto his back, under the crossbows. Suddenly, someone at the entrance screamed at Skye 'undead, incoming. Three!' Skye turned to me 'excuse me, will you?' Without waiting for an answer, he charged at the gate. Maeck chassed after him. As Skye got to the entrance, He pulled out the crossbows, fired with each of them, dropped them to the floor, pulled out his longbow, notched an arrow, and fired. As Maeck reached the entrance, There were three fallen skeletons, and a twice dead zombie, lying, dead. Skye turnrd to him. 'You were saying.?'  
  
What do you think? Review, PLZ. I also need a charater(s) to add to Maeck. Email ideas or leave them as reviews. I also need any info on the skill chains for the classes you can give me. Thx. REVIEW. 


	2. Into the Caves

I need characters and advancement trees and a clue and skill, and. you get the drift. If you can, help. Above all, REVIEW! I need the skill trees!! NEED!!NEED!! THIS MEANS YOU, YOU!!!  
  
Maeock talked long with Skye, and decided his first action would be to (re) clear a set of caves north of the encampent. To Maeock's content and pleasure, Sarol wanted to come along.  
  
'But, Skye, I need to learn to fight. You need a melee fighter on permanent defense of the encampment.' ' I am good enough until you can be released from your current duties. We need a blacksmith.' ' I need to be trained before I can defend. And what better way?' 'being trained' but that's not real combat!' He sighed. 'Fine. You little lovers go run off.' Maeck had gone very red at this. Had he been this readable? Was it that obvious? Or was Skye very peceptive? Or had he assumed, based on Sarol's desire to go with him? She had reasons, not including company. Or did she? She seemed competent enough, certainly the equal of him. She could learn more from Skye.  
  
As they walked towards it, they finally had time alone, but all there was was an awkward silence. Other than small combats with porcupines, nothing of significance happened. When they reached the cave, he told her to go in first. She drew her War Hammer and steps in. He lit a torch, and followed.  
  
A small group of skeletons stood, almost waiting. Maeock blasted off a beam of pure, invisible Magi. More than half of the gathered fell, but his mana was draining too fast. Sarol charged and took three out with a single swing. They all dropped their weapons, and stood back. One in the back wandered down into the depths. Maeock was about to start a magi fire amongst them, but Sarol held him back. 'I think they have a leader. Maybe they're calling him.  
  
Sure enough, a skeleton in a black cloak and human clothes walked up. He raised his head. A death voice came out of his mouth as he spoke, 'are you. the response?' 'Response?' Maeck responded 'You didn't. get. message? Forgive me. has been long. time, sense. I needed. talking.' 'We know of no message received. Where was it sent?' 'Rogues. camp.' Sarol then asked 'how were these messages sent?' 'Followers. magic. vocal powers.' 'We killed them. They've been trying to kill us.' 'uuuuuhhhhhhnnnn. not mine. skeleton king's. you kill mine, too. never attack.' Sarol then spoke to Maeck 'skeleton king?' 'Never heard of him' 'hmmm.' Then, Sarol to the skeleton, 'Can you come to the rogues, to deliver the message?' 'No. they shoot, think I am. undead.' 'You're not?' ' No. just. starved, abandoned, father.' We'll protect you.' 'Will come. die. okay.' Now that he looked close, he had flesh on his bones, but hugged his skin close, and, in the dark, looked undead. They dragged him out, and, as they headed to the encampment, hoped they wouldn't shoot.  
  
Now. review, and, email me the advancement trees, along with charaters to add to my party @ Darigaaz88@aol.com. 


	3. Karov

Okay, you've heard it before, you'll hear it again, and again and again and again. REVIEW!!! SKILL TREES!!! CHARACTERS!!! REVIEW!!!  
  
  
  
As they dragged the near dead undead looking man toward the Rogue encampent, Sarol battered him with questions.  
  
'you mentioned your father. Who was he?' 'Hhhhrrrmmm. Kar.ov' 'Karov? The necromancer?' 'Yes.' 'famous here, he saved us all.' 'hmmm. evil, tactics. kills.cannibal.' 'HE'S a cannibal??' 'ye. yes.' 'damn.' 'do not. hurt hi. him.good deeds.' Then Maeck cut in. The man's rasping voice was grating, and he was aggravated at the slowness of speech. 'save your breath. When you are fed and healthy, we will continue. 'yes. is best.'  
  
As they neared the encampment, Maeck launched a signal into the sky, to announce their arrival. Soon, a team, lead by Skye himself, came, and without question, pulled the son of Karov out of their grasps and carried him the rest of the way.  
  
When they reached the encampment, Sarol, Maeck, Skye, and Karov jr. (for this is what he was named) sat around a fire, repeating the story. The entire time, Karov said not a word, as he ate all through this. When the story finished, Skye told Karov, 'eat your fill, then sleep. You will be questioned further in the morning.' Without stopping eating, he simply nodded his consent.  
  
In the morning, as Maeck awoke to Sarol's face, he realized with some embarrassment that he had slept naked, and was under only a single cover Sarol spoke, 'c'mon, sleepy head, everyone else is up!' 'oh, well, could you turn around?' 'Why.oh. OH. Right' and she turned around as he got up and threw on his shirt, pants, and his deep purple cloak. 'All right. Ready.  
  
As they emerged, Skye gave them a lopsided, suggestive grin, and turned towards the fire. 'All he's said so far is that he's hungry. He gained some good weight through the night.' When Maeck looked at him, it didn't seem so. He was bent over the fire, cooking something. He looked skinnier than ever. Next to him stood a man who was on the skinny side, but not skeletonish. Wait, the man next to Karov, was Karov. Which meant the skeleton was a skeleton. Which meant Karov was a necromancer! 'You've taken after your father.' 'oh, the skeleton?' Karov replied ' I am a necromancer, but not by choice. I was kinda forced into the buisiness by the masses of skeletons around me.' 'And I notice you've kinda gotten better at talking.' 'Oh, yeah, I was really thirsty before. I'm ok now.' Without anyone noticing, Gheed had snuck up behind Karov. 'Gheed have dagger' *hic* 'good dagg' *hic* 'er, necro daddy liked!' *hic* and then he passed out, leaving a dagger with a shining white blade, with a black aura. Karov leaned down and said 'I guess it's mine, now.' He went to thank Gheed, and remembered he had passed out.  
  
Anyway, as it turned out, Karov 2 had been born to a rogue mercenary who had been raped by him, and died at birth. Karov had bugun to teach his son amongst the skeletons, and, when he was old enough to survive off the meat of beasts his minions killed, he had been abandoned. He had tried to send messages ever since, but to no avail. The skeleton king, a huge skeleton with eyes and hordes larger than even Karov 1's, attacked repeatedly, but was barly fended of by one of Karov 1's expiraments, a clay golem, that was immune to nearly all damage. 'I believe you must travel with Maeck and Sarol to find this clay golem and defeat the skeleton king. That is, if you are willing.' 'I'll go' Maeck said. 'I came here to fight and help, and I will' 'then I'll come, too' Sarol immediately added. Skye gave them one of thise suggestive grins. 'What!?!' Sarol demanded. Skye said nothing. ' Where my savior goes, I follow.' Karov stated. Skye then said 'I must reward you. I will enchant Sarol's hammer, Maeck's cloak, and, well, um.' 'It is ok. It is more than I could ask to get fed for free. As well, I got my father's dagger.'  
  
REVIEW, darn you. Otherwise, I won't torture Gheed! Muah ha ha ha ha ha ha. I belive I am going slowly insane. Oh, and I need character trees, party members (even if they aren't legit Diablo classes) and REVIEWS!!! 


	4. Chazbone's Yasu

Special guest appearance by Yasu, the infamous Samurai who I do not own, rather, chazbone has him on a little chain, and he tugs him around a lot. Blah blah, own characters, blah blah not gheed blah blah blizzard. Author's note- I am attempting humor in this chapter. Needless to say, there will be a lot of needless violence. Mock me if you must, but review.  
  
Maeck woke suddenly, deep into the night, with a wet cloth around his eyes. He saw nothing, felt cold, and heard a drunken voice from behind him. 'GHEED KILL EVIL MAGI!!!' As soon as he heard this, he felt a dull object whacking him on the back of the head. Gheed had chosen, out of his arseal of killing weapons, a rolled up newspaper. 'SWIFT AND PAINFUL DEATH TO YOU!!! GHEED'S HOLY POWER KILLS!!!' Maeck created a magi eye to watch from above, to allow him to see where Gheed was. He was behind him, a wet rag covering Maeck's eyes in one hand, a rolled up newspaper in the other. "DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE DIEDIE!!!!!!!!!!!!' Gheed screamed. Maeck launched a bolt of magi at gheed. Maeck made one big mistake. He fired it as though he were shooting through the eye's perspective, so, instead of hitting Gheed, he made a lot of noise, and a hole in the rogue encampment's wall. Needless to say, everyone woke up. A strange man poked his head through the wall. 'Hello?!? Is anyone here?!? Ya know, there's a hole in your wall. Holy (censored, for the younger audiences), GHEED!!! GET OFF THE MAGE!!!' Gheed screamed at the top of his lungs, got off Maeck, and ran around in a small circle, screaming 'YASU!!!! DO NOT HURT POOR GHEED!!!! GHEED KILL EVIL, LIKE YOU, SEE?!?! GHEED EVEN HAVE KATANA!!' He held up the newspaper. This strangely dressed 'yasu' calmly walked to gheed's circle, put his right hand on the hilt of his odd, bent sword, and, in drawing it, slashed the newspaper in half. He then proceeded to use his left hand to knock gheed out in a single blow. Meanwhile, the camp was slowly but surly, emerging from their tents, and asking each other questions none of them knew the answers to. Yasu walked up to Maeck and introduced himself. 'I am Yasu, samurai.' 'Maeck, magi alterer.' 'The heck is that?' Maeck sighed, and said 'something like a mage' 'okay.' As they shook hands, Maeck noticed yasu's hand felt a little odd. He looked down to dicover it had an unnatural gloss. Yasu explained. 'Sorry, jade. Just checking to make sure your not a demon' This time it was Maeck's turn to say 'Okay.'  
  
Sorry, short chapter, but I have run out of time. Yasu will be in at least one more chapter, and more, if it is chazbone's will. REVIEW!! 


	5. More Gheed torture...

Sorry to all my fans\stalkers\annoying people who won't go away for not writing for so long. Here I go! Another chapter!  
  
All of the rouge encampment residents (save Gheed) surrounded a fire, a few days later.  
  
'Well' Skye said, 'The Skeleton king awaits your grand assault, noble heroes. I have decided to send mercenaries along to assist you, or at least fend off his minions.'  
  
'Wait a minute' Yasu said. 'who decided I was coming?'  
  
'No one did,' Skye responded. 'I wasn't including you'  
  
'oh.' Yasu said, and began to pout. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Gheed stumbled in, wet and horribly drunk. Without a word, he tripped, and passed out on the fire.  
  
'Oh' Yasu repeated, 'That sucks'  
  
'What?' Skye asked  
  
'the fire isn't nearly so warm any more.'  
  
'shouldn't someone help him out?' a mercenary naively asked.  
  
'Bah, too lazy' Maeck said.  
  
'I like ham' was all Yasu had to say on the subject (you see, Gheed was being cooked.)  
  
Skye looked around for any more input. When no one else spoke up, he said, 'I guess that settles it, then.'  
  
Hours later, it was decided that Maeck had to clean up the bowel movement that had, inevidably, been made by Gheed, (still, the fire cooked on and on and on.) and, as soon as he was finished, they would go kill Skeleton King. While cleaning, he discovered hundreds of thousands of gold in the poo. Apparently, Gheed had decided to hide his fortune made from poor travelers gambling. So, every time he made a bowel movement, hed reached back into the little hole (what, it's not like they have running water) and ate his coins again. Now, however, they were Maeck's.  
  
Sorry, another short chapter, out of time at the moment, be back soon. I know it's a little vulgar, but I'm the one writing her, not you, so, yeah, um uh, I had a point at some time. 


	6. The Skeleton King

Sorry for not updating, everyone. I've been working on some other stuff, and my writing style has changed a bit, so this chapter may seem a bit odd. Anyway, here is what you've all been waiting patiently through my introduction for! The next chapter. . .  
  
  
  
Maeck said nothing of his newfound wealth to any of his companions. He decided he'd wait till after the skeleton king was defeated. So after he finished cleaning, he hauled Gheed (out of pity) off of the flame. He was still alive, but a substantial amount of his girth had burned off. Still, he didn't wake. . .  
  
The party assembled at the northern gate of the encampment. Karov said, "he dwells where once the Raven of blood did. Now all the graves, above and below ground, have been opened, and he has made use of the bodies. Prepare yourselves for brutal combat." Maeck added, "Armies of the undead cannot be crushed without killing their leader. Go for the King, and slay him quickly." They set off, Yasu, Maeck, Karov, and Sarol. They found the gravesite. The first thing we saw were the gatekeepers. Sarol regognized all but one. They were Kayasha, standing with her arms folded across her chest, Akara, still robed in purple, the rouge mercenary who had been with Karov the first (karov the second got a strange feeling this had been his mother) and, the one no one regognized was Blood Raven. Kayasha spoke first, "Welcom, outlanders, to our glorious graveyard." Apparently, anywhere she was is glorious. Then blood raven spoke. "No, fool! We're gatekeepers, we're supposed to kill them! Not welcome them!" Kayasha "oh. Wait. The King only said we were gatekeepers, nothing about this killing business. I've never tried it before. Is it fun?" Akara said, "Doesn't sound so fun. We might get hurt!" Kayasha said "Yeah! I don't wanna gat hurt!" Blood raven "the King will revive you once again if you fall in combat!" The mercenary "really? I thought he was a skeleton!" Akara and Kayasha both agreed. The party snuck past the guards, seeing an opportunity in the argument. Then they saw the King of Skeletons. He was at least four meters tall. His head let off some kind of . . . Steam? Smoke? One hand had a great sword no man could wield, not even two handed. His other hand was unequipped. He let off a great roar, and suddenly, the party was standing on skeletons. Everywhere, there were skeletons, a few zombies, and a bunch of revived beasts. They all began charging at the King, felling a few undead along the way, which were instantly revived. Sarol reached him first. She swung her maul into his ribcage. A few bones snapped, but that had very little apparent effect. The skeleton king gave her a contempt filled look, and swung his sword. Her armor stopped it from cutting deep, but she went flying, and landed in a patch of mud, unconscious. Maeck, now filled with rage, held himself in the air with magi. He flew to the King, grabbed his skull which burned his hands greatly, and blasted it with pure magi. His head quaked for am moment, then he swung his unarmed hand, knocking Maeck back about twenty meters, and knocking him nearly unconscious. He saw Yasu's attempt at slaying the king; he ran up, and clashed sword on sword once. The king looked at yasu and his blade, awed for a moment. Then, he got two bone fingers under his armor, and swung him around on his hand, until he was flung off, and landed far from Maeck's sight. Maeck heard a great battle horn sound behind him, and suddenly, skeletons were falling left and right. Maeck saw Skye, fighting through the hordes with his gleaming long sword, his arrows spent, his crossbows left behind. Suddenly, he jumped, and landed atop the king's crown. As he landed, he folded himself just so, to get maximum leverage and momentum on his sword, which he imbedded in the back of the king's head. The blade itself entered all the way, and the hilt still had enough force to shatter the weakened skull. Skye fell off, as the King's body, now headless, began to fall. When it landed, a great orange stream began emanating from it. Skye threw his blade into the stream, and the stream stopped. Maeck then fully passed out.  
  
When he awoke, Skye was bent over him. Skye said, "thank you, Akara, for healing them all." Maeck looked over to see akara, now not undead, siting on a stump of a tree. All of Maeck's companions and Kayasha, were there. Karov's mother and Bloodraven, however, had not been killed by the king, so they remained dead. Akara spoke, "Thank you for saving me, all of you. Now. . . I must die. . . in peace. . ." And she died, straight away. Kayasha said, "yes, it is not our time to be living anymore. I however, am not going to give up the last of my days alive, especially after spending so long dead. . ." Skye then began explaining what happened. "the orange stream was their life force. I pulled it back to earth, at least long enough to keep them alive a few months. The graveyard is now completely destroyed. It is a cursed place, and will never be returned to. As for the army that saved you all, long ago, the Encampment set out an expedition to go to our dwelling place of old; where Andariel had taken residence. We thought they hadn't made it, They were just unable to make contact again. I found, as I traveled here, an expedition of theirs, and brought them here. We must now go to where they have lived, and get you to set up a magical portal between the locations." Maeck nodded, and followed them.  
  
That's the end of this chapter, folks! Stay tuned for another one. Plz R+R. Thx. Bai bai! 


End file.
